Former NBA big man and current league analyst Kendrick Perkins made headlines last month when he called 2017 #2 overall pick Lonzo Ball a “bust.”
In the midst of severe struggles, Zo had been benched at the time as the Pelicans continued their losing ways.
Interestingly enough, since those comments were made, Zo has been playing at a near All-Star level pace, averaging 17.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 40.0% from three in eight games. Perk, in all his humility, took to Twitter to admit he was wrong.
One thing about me is that I’m not scared to admit when I’m wrong and my apologies to Lonzo Ball because I made it my duty to watch this Jazz at Pelicans game tonight and I’ve been watching him very closely and he is a special talent for damn show and he’s balling!!! 👌🏾
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) January 7, 2020
With Ball’s reinsertion into the starting lineup, the hope is that he can continue to play at this level.
Coming out of UCLA, there were a lot of expectations for Lonzo and his role with the Lakers. Despite never quite meeting those expectations, he has shown flashes of the type of player he can become.
If the Pelicans are to turn things around, they will need Lonzo to continue his upward trajectory into stardom. Because, as Perk put it, he is a special talent.
